Clonazepam
(Klonopin) has limited use as a daily medication, due to it's ability to
cause dependence and tolerance but many veterinarians will prescribe it for
treating cluster seizures or status epilepticus.

Clonazepam Facts:

Mean Elimination
Half-Life: 1 - 2 hours

Time to Reach Steady
State Concentrations: less than 24 hours and peak serum levels generally
occur within 1 to 2 hours which makes Clonazepam an effective medication to
use to offset seizures when a dog has cluster seizures or status
epilepticus.

Target Serum
Concentration: The therapeutic range has not been well established.

Adverse Effects: There
is very limited information on the adverse effect profile of Clonazepam.
The most common side effects seen in clinical practice are sedation (or
less common excitement), ataxia and increased appetite.

In humans side effects
such as increased salivation, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and anemia
have been reported.

Cautions and Warnings:
Clonazepam should not be used in patients who are hypersensitive to it or
other benzodiazepines, have significant liver dysfunction or have
acute narrow angle glaucoma. Benzodiazepines have been reported to
exacerbate myasthenia gravis.

Discontinuing Therapy:Dogs can quickly build
a dependence to Clonazepam, therefore, this medication should never be abruptly
withdrawn. Symptoms of withdrawal include listlessness, wet dog
shakes, tremor seizures, hyperthermia and weight loss.